Margaret's Joke
by Mirandabelle
Summary: Here it is folks, the very last chapter. Even Margaret's going to be surprised by this one! I got it right this time too!
1. Reunion

Part One: Reunion  
  
Margaret stubbornly shook of the helpful hand of the stewardess that tried to help her down the steps of the small airplane.  
  
"I am perfectly capable of doing it myself, I can look after myself you know!" She insisted, helping her four-year-old daughter, Danielle down the steps. Her other child, Molly, short for Margaret was at the bottom of the steps, had been carried down and was waiting with the Honnicuts.  
  
"Please ma'am, allow us to help, after all, with your condition." The younger woman started nervously.  
  
"It's called pregnant and I've been this way twice before, I'm perfectly all right. BJ! How are you?" Margaret informed the lady icily before making the last of the steps herself and hugging her old friend warmly.  
  
"Wonderful! Margaret, this is Peggy, Peggy, this is Margaret." BJ introduced his pretty blonde wife.  
  
"It's nice to finally meet you, Mrs?" Peggy shifted her baby to shake her hand.  
  
"Call me Margaret, and it's nice to finally meet you too." Margaret and Peggy had heard a lot about each other and felt as though they'd known each other all their lives.  
  
"BJ, it's so great to see you after all these years, these are my daughters Danielle and Molly. This one is expected in about 6 or 7 weeks, but hopefully after I get home." BJ laughed as Margaret placed a hand on her very swollen stomach.  
  
"I'm not sure I'm up to delivering another baby quite yet. This is Ryan." BJ took his sleeping son from his wife's arms to place him in Margaret's.  
  
"How beautiful, he's so perfect." Margaret smiled as they made their way out of the airport.  
  
"Where's Erin?" Margaret asked, as they squeezed into BJ's car.  
  
"At home, our neighbours are sitting her and Grace," Peggy explained.  
  
"Grace?" Margaret asked as Ryan began to fuss, wanting to get back to his mother.  
  
"Oh, Margaret, I forgot, it's been seven years since we saw each other. Well, Gracey is probably 12 months older than your Danielle, she was a little belated welcome-back gift." BJ said and Margaret laughed.  
  
"That's what Molly is. Her dad had to go intestate for three weeks when I was expecting her. He came back early to find a note tacked on the door from me. I'd gone into labour a week early and he made it to the hospital in time to be told he'd just become a father for the second time."  
  
"That would've been a wonderful surprise." Peggy chuckled. As BJ hoped, Margaret and Peggy had hit it off instantly.  
  
"Yes, but he made me promise never to do that again. He's also got me on oath not to have this little guy until we're home again." Peggy gave a hearty laugh at that.  
  
"Well, BJ delivered Ryan in the backseat of his parent's car. We were visiting them for the night and his car wouldn't start so we borrowed theirs to get to the hospital, we missed by two minutes." Peggy chuckled and Margaret admired the sleeping boy, who had Peggy's finger tightly in his grasp.  
  
"You're very lucky to have such a wonderful family, BJ, Peggy. The girls' dad will be out in a few days, he goes on holidays on Friday, he just wanted me to go out early and get the girls settled." Margaret explained, with a sly smile.  
  
"That's okay as long as we know when his plane gets in, we'll pick him up. By the way, have you heard from Hawkeye? I couldn't locate him anywhere, and I was hoping to get him out here too. I've got Radar coming as well tomorrow." BJ asked, hoping that Margaret had heard from his best friend.  
  
"Well, you'll be surprised, but I have heard from Hawkeye fair bit." She bit her tongue, laughing to herself.  
  
"What's your husband's name Margaret?" Peggy politely asked.  
  
"Oh, it's Benjamin, if we have a boy, we'll name this little one Ben Junior." Margaret motioned to her stomach. While BJ looked confused at the strangely familiar name.  
  
"Benjamin, why is that name so familiar?" BJ murmured.  
  
"Isn't it, that Captain Pierce's name?" Peggy spoke up softly.  
  
"Hawkeye, I don't know, I think it is Margaret, do you know?" BJ had rarely heard his friend's given names and if he had to, probably wouldn't have been able to tell someone.  
  
"Well, I believe that is his name." Margaret bit her tongue harder and continued biting it all the way back to BJ and Peggy's house.  
  
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	2. Settling In

Part Two: Settling In  
  
"Okay Molly my Sweet Pea, out we hop, BJ can you get Danielle?" BJ lifted the sleeping girl effortlessly as Peggy opened the front door.  
  
"Mummy, daddy!" Two girls ran into the hall, a youngish woman close behind.  
  
"Hello Angel, Shortcake, have you been good?" BJ bent down and hugged his daughters, one about 8, the other 5 to him, Danielle woke at that and was surprised to find herself in the middle of a group hug.  
  
"Thanks Marcia, I don't know what we'd do without you sometimes." Peggy let the babysitter out and Margaret in.  
  
"Here we are, your home for the next month and a half." Peggy held the door open as Margaret; carrying Molly struggled through the door.  
  
"Here we go Sweet Pea," Margaret put her daughter down and Molly clung to her mother's skirt nervously.  
  
"Mummy!" 'Shortcake' Honnicut, the younger daughter ran to her mother and wrapped her arms around her legs.  
  
"Hello my Shortcake, this is Aunty Margaret, she's going to be staying with us for a while." 'Shortcake' looked up, soft blonde hair falling into her green eyes.  
  
"You must be Grace, what a big girl you are!" Margaret bent down awkwardly, and looked the little girl in the face.  
  
"Shortcake." The little girl mumbled, holding her mother's hand tightly.  
  
"She's nervous around strangers." Peggy explained, as Margaret smiled, holding a hand out to the girl.  
  
"Okay Shortcake, you can call me Aunty Margaret."  
  
"Aunty Megs." Shortcake whispered.  
  
"She doesn't say much, but what she does say, she means. She has a mild form of autism, she's very bright really, understands everything you say. She probably won't be able to start school in the fall, she won't be ready unless she comes out of her shell." BJ explained, now sitting on the floor, a girl on each knee.  
  
"That means she's going to call you Aunty Megs and you have to call her Shortcake." 'Angel' Honnicut put in shyly. She was 8, going 9 very soon and had reddish-brown curls and her mother's eyes.  
  
"You must be Erin." Margaret smiled, and the little girl nodded, a little less shyly.  
  
"Do you want to see my room?" She asked, and Margaret nodded.  
  
"Come on," Erin got off her father's knee and took Margaret's hand and then Molly's, the little girl laughed and hugged Erin's hand under her chin.  
  
"Come along Princess," Margaret held her other hand out to Danielle, who sleepily sat on BJ's knee. She took her mother's hand and leaving Peggy, BJ, Grace and Ryan in the hall Erin gave her new friends a tour of the house.  
  
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"Wow, Peggy, you didn't need to go to this trouble." Margaret pushed Danielle's chair in and settled Molly in her highchair.  
  
"It's no worry. I love to play the hostess." Peggy smiled modestly, as she lifted Shortcake into her chair.  
  
"You do it very well darling." BJ kissed his wife's hair as she bent over her daughter.  
  
"She certainly has your hair, Peggy." Margaret commented easing herself into her seat.  
  
"Yes, she's got her daddy's eyes though, that funny green. Looks like Molly is a miniature you." Margaret laughed, Molly had the same blonde curls as her mother, but her eyes weren't quite the same.  
  
"Yes, she's got her grandmother's eyes though. Her daddy often calls her a changeling because she doesn't resemble him at all." Margaret smiled.  
  
"Help yourself, I'll get the kids fixed up. Where does Danielle get that hair?" Peggy asked, serving Erin some salad.  
  
"Her daddy, she's just like him. From her hair, to her eyes, to her nature, she even likes the same bad jokes, though I don't think she gets all of them." Margaret added in an undertone, as Danielle's blue eyes sparkled mischievously; reminding BJ of a face he hadn't seen in a long time.  
  
"Is Molly named after you?" Peggy asked.  
  
"Yes, her full name is actually Margaret Rhiannon. We picked Rhiannon because it sounded okay with both Molly and Margaret." They'd finished supper and Peggy and Erin were putting out desert.  
  
"Aunty Megs, have." Shortcake picked a cookie from the plate Erin passed around and gave it to Margaret.  
  
"Thankyou very much Shortcake." Margaret accepted the cookie and took a bite.  
  
"Who's Danielle named after Margaret?" BJ spoke up then.  
  
"After her grandfather, Daniel." "Must be her dad's side, your father is Alvin isn't he?" BJ asked, and Margaret nodded, swallowing her food.  
  
Yes, Alvin 'Howitzer' Houlihan. Joy is her middle name because we were over the moon to have her." BJ grinned at his daughters and kissed Peggy fondly.  
  
"Remember when Erin was born, I couldn't speak properly for three days, and then with my little Shortcake, it was five days because I knew I wasn't going away from her and then with Ryan I'm still feeling funny and he's a month old!" Margaret and Peggy chuckled lovingly.  
  
"Yes, when Ben first became a father he called everyone in the town. The operator went insane!" Peggy laughed and Molly gave a yawn.  
  
"If you want to put her to bed, she's sleeping in the cot in Ryan's room. He's still in the little crib." Peggy smiled, at the little girl whose eyelids seemed to be getting heavier by the minute.  
  
"Thanks, I'll just put her in as she is. She can have a bath in the morning I think. She's near worn out." Margaret lifted her daughter.  
  
"Should you really be lifting her?" Peggy asked anxiously.  
  
"Yes, it's okay as long as I feel up to it and lift her the right way." Margaret put her daughter on her barely visible hip and carried her upstairs.  
  
"Shortcake bed too," Grace said, holding her arms up to her father.  
  
"Okay Shortcake, Danielle beautiful, when do you go to bed normally?" As BJ lifted Grace and held his hand out to Danielle, she yawned and smiled.  
  
"After supper." She responded as Margaret's voice floated down calling for her older daughter to come upstairs and brush her teeth. Danielle ran upstairs and Peggy turned to Erin.  
  
"Erin my Angel, you can stay up until 8 okay?"  
  
"Yes mummy, can I have some ice cream?"  
  
"When Aunty Megs and daddy come back down okay?" Erin nodded and when BJ and Margaret came downstairs, they had their ice cream and Erin went to bed.  
  
Margaret, Peggy and BJ talked until late in the night, reminiscing and laughing. They retired just before twelve and Margaret slept through until Molly's yells woke her up the next morning.  
  
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	3. Breakfast

Part Three: Breakfast  
  
"Get her some breakfast if she wants, don't wait for us." Peggy called as Molly yelled loudly. Margaret wrapped her robe tightly and tiptoed to the next room where Ryan was still sleeping, despite Molly's hollering.  
  
"Ssh, Sweet Pea, other people are still sleeping." Margaret lifted Molly and went to the room across the hall.  
  
"See?" Margaret asked, peeking in the door. "Aunty Peg and Uncle Beej are still asleep." Molly quietened but still gurgled softly to herself. Margaret knew that Peggy had heard them, but she still emphasised the point to her daughter.  
  
"Beej?" Molly queried, blue eyes lighting up happily. Margaret smiled at her daughter.  
  
"Yes Beej, now let's get you some breakfast."  
  
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Molly gleefully squeezed her toast, jam covering her small fingers. Margaret was trying to drink her coffee, stay awake and see that Molly did not feed Waggle, the hopeful Spaniel, her toast.  
  
"Mol my Sweetness, no, Waggle doesn't need breakfast." Margaret caught Molly's arm mid-throw and the dog danced hopefully around her ankles.  
  
"Here, have some cereal." Margaret gave Molly a bowl of cornflakes in front of her daughter. Molly stirred her breakfast with her toast.  
  
Erin appeared at the bottom of the stairs, sleepy-eyed and still in her Pj's. Her wide yawn and Molly's excited pointing drew Margaret's attention to her.  
  
"Good morning Erin Angel, would you like some cornflakes?" Erin stifled a yawn and nodded.  
  
"Yes please Aunty Megs." She climbed into a stool next to Molly's highchair behind the countertop. Molly squealed and reached for Erin's tangled brown hair with her hands. Margaret sighed, gave Erin her cereal and slid Molly two feet further away.  
  
"Goodness Sweet Pea, you're such a mess maker." Margaret wiped her daughter's sticky face and hands with a facecloth. Molly thumped her spoon into her bowl, spraying milk and cornflakes into her mother's face.  
  
"Beej, Beej, Beej, Beej, Beej!" She crowed triumphantly, banging her spoon with every word. Erin giggled as Margaret tried to stop her. She removed the bowl and spoon from Molly's possession and began to wipe up the mess, trying to ignore the milk dripping from her eyebrows.  
  
"Hello Angel, good morning Margaret," The ladies in question turned, BJ wearing his blue robe stood at the bottom of the stairs.  
  
"Daddy!" Erin threw herself at her father, forgetting her breakfast.  
  
"Hi BJ," BJ squeezed Margaret's shoulder warmly before swinging his little girl into the air.  
  
"How's my favourite girl?" He cradled her like a baby.  
  
"I'm good daddy," She giggled and BJ put her down in her seat so she could finish breakfast.  
  
"Hello baby," He ruffled Molly's hair. She squealed joyfully and threw sticky hands up to him, rubbing jam into his moustache.  
  
"Dada!" She hollered as BJ lifted her.  
  
"I see she slept well." BJ dryly commented as Molly cuddled into him.  
  
"Daddy" Molly murmured as she snuggled peacefully into his chest.  
  
"BJ, you said Margaret was coming, but is there something I should know about Molly?" Peggy asked, coming downstairs.  
  
"No, she's just a little loony, she calls every man she sees daddy." Margaret explained as she took Molly, having finished mopping the cereal up.  
  
Peggy chuckled as she kissed the top of Erin's head.  
  
"How are you this morning my little Angel?" She asked, and Erin answered her through a mouthful of food.  
  
"Where can I clean her up?" Margaret asked, holding Molly at arms' length. The little girl was still trying to rub her hands on something.  
  
"Upstairs and to your right. Next to Shortcake's room. Beej, would you check if the girls are up?" BJ and Margaret went upstairs while Erin finished breakfast.  
  
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"Knock, knock, Shortcake, Danielle, are you awake?" BJ went into the Grace's room. His daughter and Danielle were having a tea party in their nightgowns.  
  
"Good morning Miss Honnicut, do you mind if I join you for a cup of tea?" Grace looked around the room with her big eyes and smiled shyly, offering BJ a pretend cup. He 'drank' it noisily, sitting down with the girls.  
  
"When did you get up Shortcake?" BJ looked at his daughter. She'd had enough socialising for the minute and was pulling away.  
  
"When mummy did." Danielle offered and BJ rubbed the straight back hair affectionately.  
  
"Okay then, would my Shortcake like some real breakfast?" The five-year-old nodded and BJ smiled at Danielle.  
  
"What about you sweetheart? And what do people call you?"  
  
"I'm daddy's princess!" She announced proudly. BJ slung a girl over each shoulder, and started singing as he carried them downstairs.  
  
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	4. Day In The Sun

Part Four: Day in the Sun  
  
"BJ, would you go and meet the O'Reillys now? You have to allow for the traffic." Peggy came and rubbed her husband's neck.  
  
"No rest for the wicked is there?" BJ laughed, and turned his head to kiss Peggy.  
  
"Very little, and there's even less for us good guys, huh Margaret?" Peggy directed the question to Margaret who currently had two little girls, Erin and Danielle, absorbed in her stomach feeling the baby kick.  
  
"She's right, and as you should know Beej, doctors, the really, really good people get none at all!" BJ threw a blade of grass at her.  
  
"Go Beej, we'll meet you guys down the beach with a picnic okay?" Peggy shooed her husband back inside their large, but modest house.  
  
"Okay, we'll stop by here so they can drop off their luggage right?" Peggy nodded and with a final kiss, slammed the screen door behind him.  
  
"Honestly, that man doesn't do what he's told!" She laughed and came back to sit on the grass where the other woman was sitting.  
  
"Do you mind me calling your kids by their nicknames?" Margaret asked, rubbing Erin's brown curls as they lay on her lap.  
  
"Not at all, in fact my Gracey rarely answers to her name, it's only Shortcake, what about Danielle and Mol?" Margaret laughed.  
  
"They'll answer to near anything. Where's Shortcake anyway?" She looked around, realising that Erin and Danielle were listening to her baby, and Molly played nearby in the sandbox, but Grace was nowhere around.  
  
"She'll be in her cubby, she likes her own space sometimes." Danielle sat up.  
  
"Mummy, why's is Shortcake funny?" Margaret chuckled and kissed her daughter.  
  
"It's just how she is, she's very shy, so if she wants to be by herself let her be okay?" Danielle nodded, not understanding, but still happy she had an answer.  
  
"It looks like she wants company now." Peggy commented as Grace searched the yard and ran over to her friend.  
  
"Danni come see baby." She held out her hand and the two girls ran off to the little cubby.  
  
"Well Margaret, they'll be okay for a while, shall we get lunch started?" Peggy stood up and offered Margaret a hand; Margaret accepted it and the two women went into the house to get lunch.  
  
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"Radar!" Margaret hugged her friend warmly as BJ found the women on the beach.  
  
"I see the Major is having a minor," Radar laughed, holding a young woman's hand.  
  
"Yes, in about 8 weeks. Who's this young lady?" Margaret asked, holding her hand out to the woman who comfortably cradled a baby in her free arm.  
  
"This is my wife, Patty. We married just after I got home. And this is my little girl, Nancy and her brother Henry." Radar gestured to the baby and a little boy who hid behind his father's legs.  
  
"They're beautiful little children. Well, that's Danielle, and that's Molly." Margaret gestured hopelessly to where the kids ran on the beach laughing and shouting.  
  
"I'm Peggy, you must be Walter and Patty."  
  
"Please call me Radar Mrs Honnicut,"  
  
"Okay Radar, and I insist, call me Peggy." Radar blushed nervously at the familiar term. Although he had matured considerably since hw was the boy who slept with a teddy in Korea, he was still a very shy, polite person.  
  
"And I'm Margaret now, I left the army when Danielle was born." Margaret laughed at Radar's shocked expression.  
  
"If you don't mind me asking, Major, I mean, Margaret, where is your husband?" Margaret laughed knowing Radar had thought that the lack of male presence meant that she had divorced again.  
  
"He's arriving tomorrow, we came out early, but he had to wait until his holidays came round." Radar relaxed as Peggy led them over to a blanket spread on the sand.  
  
"Well it's just I thought, seeing as how there wasn't no one here, you might have, well, you know, the 'd' word." Radar mumbled, Margaret squeezed his shoulder and he jumped at her touch, glancing at her face, maybe expecting hurt, but he was given a big, warm smile. He returned it, and began to relax around the woman he had once been scared of.  
  
"Lunch Shortcake, Angel, Princess, Sweet Pea!" Peggy called and the girls came running. The people spent the rest of the day on the beach laughing.  
  
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	5. Love Stories

Part Five: Love Stories  
  
"Radar, Patty, you're sleeping on the foldout couch, I'm sorry there's only one spare room." Peggy said as they tried to sort out the kid's beds for the night.  
  
"Margaret must have it of course." Patty said.  
  
"There's a spare bed in Erin's room that Henry can have." Peggy offered  
  
"No, he can come in with us and Nancy's fine in her pram." Radar looked at his three and a bit son who was dozing in the armchair. Nancy, the O'Reilly's younger child, a girl of barely 2 months had already had a feed and was asleep.  
  
"BJ, give Radar a hand setting the bed up. I'd better put Shortcake to bed, I'll bring her by to say goodnight in a minute." BJ and Radar set up the bed, while Patty took Henry upstairs for a quick wash. It took a while but finally all the kids were ready to be tucked in.  
  
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"Goodnight Shortcake." BJ kissed his daughter goodnight a few minutes later. She hugged him sleepily.  
  
"Night Princess, daddy's coming tomorrow, so sleep tight and when you wake up, Uncle BJ will go and pick him up and bring him here." Margaret tucked her older daughter in at the same time.  
  
"Goodnight Shortcake." Margaret ran a hand over Grace's face, but the little girl was tired out and didn't respond.  
  
"Night Princess," BJ received a shy hug from Danielle.  
  
"Aunty Megs, daddy will you tuck me in?" Erin came to the door.  
  
"After we've put Ryan and Molly to bed," Margaret promised as they crossed the hall. Peggy sat in the nursery, feeding Ryan and Molly stood up in her cot.  
  
"Listen Sweet Pea, some of us have to sleep tonight, did she wake at all with Ryan?" Margaret asked as she lay Molly down.  
  
"No she didn't, my little Scamp didn't wake her at all." Peggy and BJ put Ryan in bed. Molly demanded a lullaby, and a little exasperated, Margaret started to sing.  
  
"Rock a bye Molly on the treetops, when the wind blows the cradle will rock. When the bough breaks the cradle will fall, but Daddy will catch her, cradle and all." Molly's eyelids lost the battle about the same time Ryan's did and both families tiptoed from the room.  
  
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"Well, Radar, tell us how you and Patty met." Peggy asked. She'd just made some lemonade and the five adults sat around the table, sipping the cold drink.  
  
"Well, Margaret, BJ, you know the story. I met her in Tokyo, I was on R&R."  
  
"Rest and reading," Margaret and BJ put in together.  
  
"Anyway, we swapped addresses and we started writing. Then we met up again." Radar smiled a little nervously at his friends.  
  
"Then?" Margaret prompted and Patty continued.  
  
"Then we saw each other so often, it was like we were going steady. One night though, he took me to the fair and he was so nervous, his 'Radar' wasn't working properly. Turns out he wanted to propose to me on the top of the Ferris wheel. Of course I said yes, and we were married on the 22nd of July 1953."  
  
"Day before the peace treaty was signed. Kind of ironic, don't you think?" BJ put in.  
  
"Ssh, let her finish." Both Margaret and Peggy whispered, looking dreamy at the romantic story that was being related to them.  
  
"Well, then in 1957, our fourth anniversary present was little Henry and then Nancy was born in May. We live on his farm with his Ma who sits the kids while Walter and I run the farm."  
  
"Oh how wonderful!" Peggy said as Patty finished the story.  
  
"Margaret," BJ smiled with an evil glint to his eye, "Tell us about your husband." Margaret smiled, determined to lie her way through it when the phone rang.  
  
"That'll be Ben, I'll get it," She stood up and answered the phone.  
  
"Hey honey, they're sound asleep. Hmm, yep, yeah that's okay I'll tell BJ, see you then sweetheart. Bye, love you." She hung the phone up and turned back to the group.  
  
"Ben's going to be late, he's getting on Sunday instead; he put off his flight because of something. Doctors are too busy." Margaret sat down at the table.  
  
"That's fine. Now, how did you meet?" BJ pressed, sensing his old friend was hiding something. Margaret held her hands up in mock-surrender, laughing.  
  
"Okay, okay I'll tell you! Ben and I had known each other for quite a while. He and I wound up in Portland, he was there visiting an old friend and I was there on a conference. Anyway, I didn't expect to run into him, but I did. We walked straight into each other, and it took us about two seconds before we were hugging like there was no tomorrow. I skipped the conference, and he took me out on the town. We had a lovely time, and it was like he'd planned it all along. In fact, if I didn't know he was as surprised as I was, I can read that man like a book, I would have said had planned it."  
  
"What did you do?" Peggy asked curiously.  
  
"No, don't tell her, it'll make me look bad!" BJ cracked and he and Peggy shared a loving kiss.  
  
"Oh we just had dinner, but it was just so good to see him. He knew the entire town backwards, and he took me to all the best places, that were so quiet and private. We ordered lobster and took it out onto the cliffs; it was just so beautiful with the sun setting behind us. We went for a walk and I tripped and nearly went over the edge."  
  
"Oh my goodness!" Peggy gasped, while Patty and Radar had their hands over their mouths in horror.  
  
"He pulled me back, but I tell you my whole life flashed before my eyes. Once he had me on solid ground again, he held onto me to make sure I was okay. I told him that I was in debt to him for the rest of my life."  
  
"Never say that to a man, unless you can stand being loved to death!" Patty chuckled, squeezing her husband's hand lovingly.  
  
"This is the really good bit, Ben really never wastes a moment, and this was a doozy as far as he was concerned. He asked me then, if I was so deeply in debt, would it lighten my load to marry him." A small laugh rippled around the table.  
  
"That's so lovely! Walter told me he didn't have a lot, but he'd share whatever he had and that he'd do anything for me." Patty kissed Radar's blushing face.  
  
"BJ said he'd love me forever and he'd crawl on his hands and knees if it made me happy." Peggy and BJ shared a warm glance.  
  
"I'd only been back with him for two hours but I said of course I would. I'd loved that man since forever. We got married on the 14th of May 1956, and on our six-month anniversary, Danielle arrived."  
  
"Wow, you guys didn't waste any time!" Radar exclaimed, and then blushed.  
  
"Well, that's what made us hurry up a little. Danielle wasn't 100% planned. Well, she was, but she was just 5 months too early. When I found out I was pregnant, we put the wedding forwards. We tried to get you out for the wedding, but I just couldn't contact you. Colonel Potter came though."  
  
"Did Hawkeye come?" BJ asked. Margaret bit her tongue as she tried not to laugh.  
  
"Yes, he was at the wedding." She answered poker-faced."  
  
"So you were three months pregnant when you married?" Patty asked.  
  
"Yes, it was no real worry, we just became parents a lot sooner. I've left the army of course, and my discharge didn't come through till Danielle was 2 days old."  
  
"If only I could have gotten pregnant in Korea!" BJ laughed, "If it got me out of there, I would have done it!" Peggy looked disgusted at her husband's sad sense of humour.  
  
"It sounds like you and Ben are very happy together." Patty smiled, and Margaret noticed the soft embrace her husband had her in.  
  
"We are, we couldn't be happier. Danielle and Molly are just so wonderful, we really couldn't ask for much more, except a little boy." Margaret's hands massaged her swollen belly.  
  
"Oh, Walter and I are very happy too Henry and Nancy are just dreams come true." Patty's voice was soft and musical, prompting Peggy to ask if she sang at all.  
  
"Oh, sometimes." Patty blushed; she and her husband had very similar reserved natures and didn't like the limelight.  
  
"When she puts Henry to bed, she sings then, and she has a voice like you wouldn't believe. It's swell to hear her. She's got a more beautiful voice than I've ever heard." Radar spoke up.  
  
"More beautiful than mine?" Margaret asked teasingly, catching Patty's eye.  
  
"Yes, I mean no ma'am." Radar fumbled for an answer pleasing to everyone.  
  
"Walter, you said my voice was the nicest thing you've ever heard!" Patty faked upset and Radar rose to the occasion, trying to soothe her, without upsetting Margaret.  
  
"Yes it is, it's just that Major Houlihan, I mean Margaret's voice is real pretty too, but your's is nice, and, and, hey! What's so funny?" Radar demanded as Margaret and Patty burst out laughing.  
  
"You my dear, you're so willing to please everyone, but you can't always manage it." Patty kissed Radar on the cheek. BJ started laughing too and clapped Radar on the shoulder.  
  
"Well, they got you good there! Never mind, there's all of tomorrow for our revenge, and who knows, maybe this mysterious 'Ben' is a practical joker." BJ gave the two women his best evil glare.  
  
"Oh, he's a joker all right." Margaret chuckled and proceeded to tell a story. They spent the rest of the evening sharing laughs and love stories before heading to bed. 


	6. Another Day Of Suspense

Part Six: Another Day Of Suspense  
  
"Mummy, why's is daddy late?" Danielle asked in the morning.  
  
"Because my Princess, daddy's a doctor and he's busy." Margaret kissed Danielle's head as she passed her. They were having a more organised breakfast on the patio.  
  
"Angel, Shortcake!" The two little girls came running, and Peggy put them into their chairs.  
  
"Molly, breakfast!" Molly who had been absorbed in an ant crawling looked up at the mention of food. She toddled over to her mother who put her up in her highchair.  
  
"Henry how many pancakes will you have today?" Patty chuckled as she set Henry in his chair.  
  
"Eight-free!" He called, clapping his hands.  
  
"Eighty-three hmm? Let's just start with one."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Several pancakes later, it was decided as soon as Ryan and Nancy were up, the group would head to the beach.  
  
"It's a lovely day, the beach will be perfect and we can take lunch." Peggy said.  
  
"That'd be nice. Walter, how about you watch the kids while I help Peggy fix lunch? Patty suggested.  
  
"They'll be okay, Erin's responsible enough to look after them if he likes, he and BJ can go find the fishing rods and set them up. We can have the babies in their prams just outside the kitchen." Peggy suggested.  
  
"Okay, Henry be good, ma's just going to be in the kitchen with your Aunts okay?" Patty put the little boy who was wearing faded coveralls down and he joined Molly in the sandbox. BJ and Radar disappeared and the three women headed into the kitchen.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Come on Margaret, I don't know you well, but I know you're hiding something about that husband of yours what is it?" Peggy asked as she spread butter on the bread and made sandwiches.  
  
"What do you mean? I have no idea what you're talking about." Margaret asked innocently as she cut and wrapped the sandwiches Peggy and Patty were making. Outside the kitchen Ryan and Nancy slept in their prams.  
  
"Margaret, Walter and BJ know your husband don't they?" Patty asked handing Margaret more salad sandwiches to cut. Margaret chuckled as Nancy fussed in her pram and Patty went and picked her up.  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about." Margaret lied blatantly. "I've never introduced him to any of you." Patty and Peggy laughed knowingly.  
  
"What if we agree not to tell our husbands, would you let us in on the joke then?" Patty asked. Peggy nodded her agreement and added a promise not to tell.  
  
"Well, okay, only if you promise you won't tell anyone, not even the kids." Margaret said slowly.  
  
"We promise." Peggy said honestly.  
  
"Okay then, you win Ben's really . . ." Margaret sighed and began talking.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
BJ landed facedown in the sand as Erin hurled herself at his back. Once he was down, Danielle and Molly threw themselves on top of him too, cheering loudly. Little Henry followed and landed on BJ's legs. Patty ran over and swung the kids into the air one-by-one off BJ's back and handed them to Radar who tucked Molly under one arm and Henry under the other and ran down the beach, Erin and Danielle trying to keep up.  
  
Peggy was giving Ryan some lunch and Margaret was having a nap, when Radar bolted down the beach. Grace sat with her mother, nursing Nancy under Peggy's eye. Peggy glanced at her watch as she burped Ryan and saw the time.  
  
"Goodness, I'd better go get the Potters from the airport!" She exclaimed, realising she should have left 5 minutes before. "I'll go word them up about not letting on they know about you and Ben." She added in an undertone to Margaret as she lay her now sleeping son in his pram.  
  
"Okay, see you back here." Margaret mumbled to herself, the baby had kept her up all night and now that it was finally quiet, she was trying to catch up on some sleep. Peggy left, knowing that her kids were in good hands.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Margaret! It's so good to see you. My you're looking well!" Colonel Potter exclaimed, hugging the heavily pregnant woman. She beamed radiantly, pregnancy agreed with her, and she enjoyed the nine sacred months she spent that way.  
  
"Yes Margaret, you're looking wonderful." Mildred agreed.  
  
"Thankyou Colonel, Mrs Potter, now, have you met the kids?"  
  
"You have more children, goodness! I thought you wouldn't have had any yet!" Mildred exclaimed.  
  
"Little secret, I was three months pregnant when I married." Margaret stage- whispered, calling her two wet, sandy girls to her side.  
  
"Danielle, Molly, this is Colonel and Mrs Potter. Colonel, Mrs Potter these are my daughters Danielle 'Princess' Joy and Margaret 'Sweet Pea' Rhiannon."  
  
"Pleased to meet you little ladies." Colonel Potter, fit as ever bent beside the girls, Molly threw herself around his neck with a shriek of 'Daddy' and Danielle offered a sticky hand for him to shake.  
  
"Molly, baby you know that Daddy's coming tomorrow morning. I trust Peggy explained everything?" Margaret whispered in an undertone.  
  
"Yes she did, don't worry, who else do we have to confuse by the way?" Colonel Potter replied, as Margaret tried and failed to detach her smallest daughter.  
  
"No one who isn't here already." Margaret replied, shrugging as Molly held onto Colonel Potter's clothes, leaving a damp patch. "Honey, you're getting Colonel Potter's clothes all yucky."  
  
"Yucky?" Molly asked with a gurgle.  
  
"Yes yucky." Margaret repeated as Molly finally relinquished her hold and toddled off in pursuit of BJ and Henry.  
  
"I am exhausted!" Margaret announced a few hours later, and it was proposed that everyone would walk back to the Honnicut home for a light supper, warm showers and bed.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Come on Peggy, won't you tell me please?" BJ begged as his wife slipped into bed after settling little Ryan.  
  
"Let me think for a second, no!" Peggy replied with a laugh.  
  
"Come on Peg, you know, so does Patty, and I think Colonel Potter and Mildred do too, now would you let me in on the joke?"  
  
"BJ Margaret wants you to wait, so you impatient but cute little boy you, you're just going to have to wait with Radar." Peggy smiled, capturing her husband's dissatisfied frown with a playful kiss.  
  
"You're a tease, but did I tell you I loved you?" He replied wrapping his arms around his wife.  
  
"Multiple times BJ Honnicut. But I'm still not going to tell you the real identity of Margaret's husband!" BJ groaned and kissed his wife. From downstairs, Patty and Radar's voices floated up, making Margaret smile as she heard them.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Patricia Maryanne O'Reilly!" Radar sat up in bed, his young son between him and his wife clutching a teddy bear.  
  
"Yes Walter Eugene O'Reilly?" Patty asked teasingly, keeping her voice low so as not to wake Henry.  
  
"Tell me who Major Margaret's married please?" Radar begged.  
  
"Can't you tell who, with your 'radar' Radar?" His young bride teased.  
  
"No, Margaret's not telling me anything!" Radar protested.  
  
"Well then I won't." Patty finished with a smile, lying down and turning off her lamp.  
  
"Geez, never give a short guy a break will you?" Radar muttered lying down. Patty chuckled to herself as her husband continued grumbling until he fell asleep.  
  
Upstairs and downstairs, it was two very unsatisfied men that went to sleep that night. 


	7. All Is Revealed

Part Seven: All Is Revealed  
  
"So, we'll finally get to meet Ben." BJ smiled, sipping his coffee. They were eating in the kitchen, that is to say the Potters, BJ, Radar, Henry, Erin and Danielle were eating. Molly was more interested in mushing her food and Margaret was trying to keep it off the walls and floor. Peggy and Patty were nursing their babies, and Grace sat under Peggy's chair, gnawing on an hour-old piece of toast.  
  
"Yes, but Margaret, Mildred, Patty and I are going to pick him up. You boys are minding the kids, babies and all." Peggy said with a smirk.  
  
"That's just cruel! I've been waiting for days!" BJ protested.  
  
"Tough." Margaret poked her tongue out at BJ. "Margaret Rhiannon, you eat your breakfast!" She snapped, as Molly tried to rub her food in her hair. The toddler's face crumpled and she started to cry. "Shh Molly my sweet, I'm sorry Sweet Pea." Margaret lifted Molly from the highchair and rocked her until she was quiet.  
  
"I see the Major is still there." Colonel Potter laughed.  
  
"Yes, she is and I'm sorry for yelling then. It's just that Blossom kept me up all night by sitting on my bladder."  
  
"Blossom?" Patty asked, burping Nancy.  
  
"The baby's nickname if I have a girl. If I have a boy, Sport. We managed to pick this one's name within an hour of knowing I was expecting. We argued for months over Danielle's name, and Molly had no name for three days."  
  
"What have you picked?" Mildred asked.  
  
"Ben Jr if it's a boy. Victoria Jocelyn if I have another girl. Beej, Peg, what are your kids' middle names?"  
  
"Erin Judith, Grace Christine, and Ryan has my maiden name, Hayden." Peggy said, with a fond glace at her kids. Erin was sharing a big bowl of cornflakes with Danielle, and both girls were enjoying it immensely.  
  
"They're lovely. Ours are Henry Blake and Nancy Patricia." Radar said with a smile.  
  
"Gosh, Peg, aren't we supposed to go in an hour?" Margaret gasped checking the clock over Molly's head.  
  
"Yes." Hurriedly the women dressed themselves and their children, leaving orders to take good care of them. Only Margaret was relaxed in leaving Danielle and Molly with Colonel Potter and while Peggy and Patty were giving lengthy lectures about the precise way to hold/rock/settle their children, Margaret gave a few basic instructions. .  
  
"They'll be good as gold, if Danielle cries, sing to her, if Molly cries, rock her. Don't let Danielle have anything else to eat, she'll make herself ill and Molly is not to have anything to drink but water, she had a bottle of juice at breakfast and that's plenty. Be good for the Colonel girls." She kissed them both and handed Molly to the Colonel.  
  
"Tell you what Sweet Pea, you can call me Grandpa Sherm, you too Danielle. That is if your mother doesn't mind." Margaret shook her head, she loved the name as it was relaxed but not impolite.  
  
"Let's go." Many, many goodbyes later, Peggy started the car and the four women headed off to the shops.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~  
  
"Umm Peggy?" Margaret tapped Peggy's arm as they tried to pick a new summer outfit for Ryan.  
  
"Over to your right there, see?" Margaret headed off in the direction of the ladies' room. The baby was putting a lot of pressure on her bladder and Margaret had to make frequent pit stops.  
  
One four striped jumpsuits, one blue, one yellow, one red and one orange, later, the women headed into the girls' section of the store.  
  
It wasn't until Peggy had bought new pink sandals, a pink play suit and matching hat for Gracey, and white sandals, a navy dress with shorts to go under and a straw hat for Erin that Margaret decided she needed to go to the bathroom again.  
  
By the time she'd returned, Patty was debating whether she should get the yellow or the purple suit for Nancy, and with Margaret's help decided on the yellow.  
  
They kept shopping and after Margaret had bought Danielle and Molly light blue sundresses, although Danielle looked like her father and Molly her mother blue was still the best colour on the very different children, they decided they had to go and meet Margaret's husband.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~  
  
After making another trip to the ladies' room, they left the store with their purchases and went to the airport. The plane they were to meet hadn't come in yet, and Margaret decided that she needed another bathroom visit.  
  
"I'm going to ring home and check up alright?" Peggy said, making her way over to the public phone. A short phonecall later and she reported that everyone was alive and well, Ryan and Nancy were asleep, Colonel Potter had taken Danielle and Erin for a walk, Radar was out back with Henry, Grace was following closely in BJ's footsteps, unwilling to leave his side and Molly was noisily thumping two pots together in such a fashion BJ was amazed how the babies slept through it. "All is well." She concluded, as they heard a plane, Ben's plane, land.  
  
"Margaret!" If Margaret could have run towards her husband she would have, but running with an 8-month pregnancy is hard. Throwing her arms around her husband's neck, they embraced as though they had been apart for years, and not just a few days.  
  
The blonde head met the black in a long, deeply impassioned kiss that they had shared so many times before. Ben's lips worked over Margaret's passionately until she pulled back with a wince.  
  
"Margaret, what's the matter?" He asked anxiously.  
  
"I'm okay I just need to visit the ladies' again." She blushed, heading for the toilets.  
  
"Hi I'm Peggy Honnicut."  
  
"So you're Peggy, it's great to meet you. I heard so much about you." He shook her hand warmly.  
  
"Mildred Potter." The older woman offered her hand.  
  
"You're Miss Potter! Well, the Colonel sure is lucky to have a daughter like you." Mildred smiled and blushed. "And I don't believe I've met before."  
  
"Patricia O'Reilly, pleased to meet you."  
  
"Nice to meet you too Patricia. And there's my lovely wife. Feeling better now sweet?"  
  
"Much better now let's go, BJ's dying to meet you." They squeezed into the car, and started the drive home, stopping hurriedly at a gas station when Margaret needed to go again. They kept going, while at home, the men waited impatiently to meet the mystery man who had stolen Margaret's heart.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~  
  
"How long can they be?" BJ paced the living room, checking his watch.  
  
"You looked just like I did while Patty was in labour." Radar chuckled. "I paced, and complained and worried."  
  
"Try delivering, takes your mind off things." Potter laughed, and Radar looked downright shocked.  
  
"You delivered Cory and Eve?" BJ asked.  
  
"Yessir! Mrs Potter wouldn't have it any other way."  
  
"Neither would Peggy, I delivered all three of my beautiful children. Come on Shortcake, how about you let go of daddy's leg and play with Danielle?" Erin's mummies and daddies game was a little over Danielle's head, who although understood the basics, couldn't grasp why it wasn't okay to hold the baby upside down, when after all, 'baby' was a doll.  
  
"Nup, Shortcake with dad." She whispered, her big luminous eyes shy. BJ looked over to find Radar had stiffened, and watched anxiously as his friend twitched.  
  
"Choppers! I mean, the car, I can hear the car, choppers is just automatic."  
  
"I can't hear the . . . oh!" BJ laughed as the Honnicut car came into view.  
  
"You've still got it son." Potter clapped Radar on the shoulder as Peggy entered the house.  
  
"Listen, Margaret wants you all waiting in the kitchen so she can make the official presentation." Peggy ushered the men and kids through into the kitchen where they arranged themselves around the table. Patty joined the group, and Peggy settled on BJ's knee.  
  
"Good you're all here." Margaret popped her head into the room. "BJ, Radar, Erin, Grace, I would like to present my husband and the father of my children . . ." She paused dramatically, while the men hung on her words.  
  
"I can hardly believe it myself." She gave a little giggle. "My husband, Benjamin Franklin Pierce!" She pulled him into the kitchen and there was a shocked silence.  
  
"Hawk!" BJ deposited a surprised Peggy onto the even more surprised Colonel's lap and crossed the kitchen. He grabbed Hawkeye in a tight hug. Shocked for a second, Hawkeye didn't respond, but finally began to laugh, slapping BJ on the back.  
  
"Margaret! How could you? You had me fooled!" BJ let go of Hawkeye and dragged his friend into a hug.  
  
"I thought BJ and Hawkeye, and Captain MacIntyre were the only ones who could play a joke!" Radar laughed as Hawkeye energetically shook his hand.  
  
"Well," Margaret beamed. "You were wrong!" 


	8. One Last Surprise

A/N: I wasn't sure how to end this, but seeing as very few people thought it finished, I added the last chapter.  
  
Part Eight: Margaret's Other Surprise  
  
A few million hugs, and almost as many tears later, the friends settled down for lunch. Peggy was given a seat of her own, and the kids were fixed up.  
  
"Well here's to good times!" BJ proposed a toast.  
  
"To friends!" Hawkeye added.  
  
"To family!" Margaret raised her glass.  
  
"To life!" The Colonel joined them.  
  
"To having fun!" Radar said.  
  
"To falling in love!" Patty cheered.  
  
"To having children!" Peggy added  
  
"To the best two weeks we're ever going to have!" Mildred finished.  
  
"To us!" BJ stood up.  
  
"To us!" They all echoed, joining him. They touched glasses and sipped their drinks, together again as friends.  
  
"I'd like to propose a new toast." Margaret said later, a peculiar look in her eyes. "Here's to getting me to hospital because I rather suspect I'm in labour."  
  
"I'll drink to that! WHAT?" Hawkeye cheered, taking a swig and promptly spitting it everywhere.  
  
"I think that I'm having the baby right about now." Margaret said slowly, emphasising every syllable for her friends' shocked benefit.  
  
"What since when?" Demanded Hawkeye.  
  
"Since I had a contraction twenty minutes ago, and since another one just followed it." Margaret smiled, calmly folding her napkin and putting it next to her plate.  
  
"Okay, let's go then," Hawkeye stood up and ran a nervous hand through the silver-on-ebony hair.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Good luck." Hawkeye was taking Margaret to the hospital, while everyone else stayed back with the kids.  
  
"Thankyou." She was hugged by everyone, and with some difficulty bent down to her daughters. "Listen my Princess, be good while I'm away okay?"  
  
"Yes mummy." Margaret tightly hugged her raven-haired daughter.  
  
"Hey Sweet pea, when Daddy comes back, you'll have a whole new baby brother or sister." Margaret awkwardly got down onto Molly's level to kiss her.  
  
"I be big not baby?" All through the pregnancy Molly was waiting for the day when she was no longer the baby.  
  
"You'll be a big sister, that's. . . ow, ow, Hawkeye!" Margaret grabbed her stomach and called out in panic.  
  
"Honey, it's okay, tell me what's wrong." Hawkeye, trying to keep the panic out of HIS voice, bent down beside his pretty, but frightened wife.  
  
"I don't think we're going to make the hospital." Margaret was right, her waters had broken, and sick of being cooped up for so long, the baby was hurriedly making its way into the world.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Twelve minutes later....  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"That's great Margaret honey, you can do it, one more, look at all this hair, I'm so proud of you! It's a boy!" Hawkeye called, tears pouring down his cheeks, holding up the crying, obviously male baby for his wife to see.  
  
"It's a boy, I knew we'd make a beautiful boy." Margaret gasped, "Go show the others." After her waters broke, Margaret had been carried (no easy task) into the downstairs spare room, where Hawkeye delivered the baby on the Potter's bed.  
  
Hawkeye proudly cut the cord, wrapped his son in a towel and emerged from the room triumphantly. BJ, Peggy, Radar, Patty, Col and Mrs Potter, plus all the kids waited in the living room.  
  
"It's a boy, a beautiful, blonde-haired brown-eyed boy." The baby had inherited Margaret's hair, and his eyes unusually were already brown, but he was still plainly a Pierce, having Hawkeye's slim nose, and what could be a wide trademark smile, if his energies were directed to smiling instead of screaming.  
  
"And he has beautiful brown eyes!" Peggy crooned, leaning in to see the baby, as Hawkeye introduced Molly and Danielle to their brother.  
  
"Well Margaret's eyes are kind of green, so I guess that it has something to do with that." Hawkeye said, his finger firmly encased in his newborn son's fist. Any other replies were cut off by a desperate yell from the bedroom.  
  
"HAWKEYE! I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU'RE DOING, BUT GET YOUR REAR BACK HERE PRONTO, I'M NOT FINISHED!" Hawkeye jumped about six feet in the air, and hurried back to his wife, BJ, Colonel Potter and Patty, a nurse, followed hurriedly in case there was an emergency. Peggy followed too, and took the baby from Hawkeye as he entered the room.  
  
"Margaret, steady on, what's . . . oh, twins, you never said it was twins!" Margaret was beginning to deliver her second child. BJ took over as Hawkeye, incredibly shocked, fell to his knees, completely incapable of productive action. "Twins you never mentioned twins. . ." He muttered again.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
It was a matter of a few minutes and Margaret and Hawkeye's newborn daughter, a beautiful healthy baby with shining blue eyes and not a hair on her head, lay nestled in her mother's arms, with her brother safely beside her. Hawkeye was still on his knees, crying. BJ was crying, the miracle of life having amazed him once more, in fact the only person not crying in that room was Margaret, who had a smug little smile on her face.  
  
"Margaret, did you know?" BJ asked suspiciously, watching as Margaret nursed her pretty children.  
  
"No, I didn't I can't believe we missed that. I wonder which one of you was the secret-keeper." She looked at her children lovingly.  
  
"Well it seems to me, that it was neither Pierce nor Hunnicutt who were the funniest and best pranksters in the camp. I believe that Margaret has earned the role." Colonel Potter laughed. Noisily, BJ and Hawkeye agreed.  
  
"Cheers to Margaret, Queen of the Practical Jokers!" Hawkeye cheered, stirring himself from the floor to congratulate his wife and meet his daughter.  
  
"I grovel before thee your highness." BJ added, bowing on his hands and knees and nearly tripping up Peggy. Margaret grinned, and her response had everyone laughing warmly.  
  
"What can I say? I learned from the best!"  
  
THE END 


End file.
